Elevator control and signal system



Dec. 2, 1941. H. w. WILLIAMS ETAL 2,254,636

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ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

. Dec. 2, 1941. H. w. WILLIAMS ETAL 2,254,586

ELEVATOR CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 12, 1938 l3 Sheets-Sheet 4 60 Fill V5 D-- 77 577 am D- flf 76 E76 rare 7 u 75 B76 4 Z Z WITNESSES: L 2 Z/ INVENTORS Harv/0 MMY/lbfll! and Dani/o Janf/rwl k.

ATTORNEY Dec. 2, 1941. H. w. WILLIAMS ETAL 2,264,686

ELEVATOR CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 12, 1938 13 Sheets-Sheet 5 NQK an I l IE a ill. lllllllll dw wu q fi bl 3l bm \QN 3 man INV Eh TORS Harold M h/f/h'am; and Dan/la SQnf/hL QM ATFTORNEY WITNESSES Dec. 2, 1941. H. w. WILLIAMS EI'AL 2,264,636

ELEVATOR CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 12, 1938 13 Sheets-Sheet 6 BPDI 5'0 553 B777 EPU3 L 2 WITNESSES! INVENTORS 6 Harold 14/. MY/[ams 5 j 0/7 a flflnf/o fan/fr.

" ATTORNEY Dec. 2, 1941. H. w. WILLIAMS ETAL ELEVATOR CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM 13 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Jan. 12, 1938 INVENTORS flare/a M M'l/[ams and Dani/a Serif/k I I I I I I I I I I l I \I b u t WITNESSES. 4.- 72 676%.

ATTORN EY Dec. 2, 1941. I H. w. WILLIAMS ET AL 2,264,536

ELEVATOR CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 12, 1938 13 Sheets-Sheet a 1? LI L2 BMTS B05 5053 291754 a/vpz max Bu- 42 U AZ A/ WITNESSES: INVENTQRS a X Hara/dh/M ///am5 7 and Dan/7a fianf/ni. 0/ BY ATTORN EY 2, 1941. H. w. WILLIAMS ETAL ELEVATOR CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM 13 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Jan. 12, 1958 s 5 5 t m m E a 0 v3 T .M

WITNESSE/S: fayz f? Dec. 2, 1941.

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H. W. WILLIAMS ET AL ELEVATOR CONTROL AND SI,GNAL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 12, 1938 fig? 6.

13 Sheets-Sheet 10 ATTORNEY D 2, 1941- H. w. WILLIAMS ET AL Q 2,264,686

ELEVATOR CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 12, 1938 13 Sheets-Sheet 1s a m 4 E b y 3 g M m: a Q N '7 i W a 2 a Q a N \1 s 2 w h KO x E m g Q A? m E 3 k -2 '3 w k F59: 7/7. WITNESSES: H /d W g g/gyms z 0 3220/7/7 7 7 4 09? a a ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 2, 1941 ELEVATOR CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM Harold W.

WVilliams, Englewood, and Danilo Santini, Tenafly, N. J., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Elevator Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of Illinois Application January 12, 1938, Serial No. 184,694

28 Claims.

Our invention relates to systems of control for electric elevators and more particularly to such systems in which a number of elevator cars operating together as a bank are controlled by passenger-operated push buttons located at the various floor landings. Although not limited thereto, our invention is particularly applicable to such elevator systems in which the elevator cars are driven at relatively high speeds by variable-voltage or other high-speed motive equipment and are automatically stopped at the floors by automatic landing equipment or equivalent apparatus. Such elevator systems provide the most efiicient passenger service available and find their principal application in ofiice buildings and other tall structures having a large nurnber of floors and a relatively large volume of passenger traffic.

In such systems, in the absence of special control provisions which will be described, there is a tendency for the various elevator cars to distribute the building traflic unevenly, and, in the taller buildings, for the cars to become bunched and thus prevent reasonable uniformity of spacing between the cars.

These systems also tend to provide better service at certain floors than at others, particularly during the noon and evening rush periods, at which times a relatively large number of calls are registered at practically all floors of the building within a relatively short period of time. At such rush periods, each elevator car is filled to capacity by a relatively few stops, perhaps three or four. Considering a car leaving the upper terminal, such a car is usually required to make these few stops at the upper floors and so passes the lower floors without stopping. Because of the frequency with which calls are registered, the next car of the series is also filled to capacity by three or four stops at upper floors and so passes the lower floors without stopping. In the operation of these systems, therefore, the response to calls registered from lower floors of the building is delayed until most of the traffic from the upper floors has receivedl attention,

In order to provide more uniform service throughout the building during heavy traffic peaks, the quota system, as disclosed in the Richard W. Jones Patent No. 2,104,522, issued January 4, 1938, and the William F. Eames Patent No. 2,104,478, issued January 4, 1938, to

Westinghouse Electric Elevator Company, has been devised. In accordance with the quota principle, each car is normally assigned a zone of floors extending in advance of itself up to some point of reference such as the next car travelling in the same direction, or, if no car is in advance of it travelling in the same direction, up to the last car travelling in the opposite direction. All corridor calls for service in the corresponding direction of travel, registered at floors included in a cars zone, are assigned to the car as soon as registered, until a prede termined number, or quota, of calls is received. Upon receipt of its quota of calls, the car loses its zone and cannot accept any further calls until it reaches a terminal. The zone of a car which has accepted its quota of calls is transferred to the next following car, so that the zone of the latter extends from its own position, past the car having its quota, up to the next preceding car travelling in the same direction, or to some other reference point.

It has been found in practice that the quota system distributes the acceptance of calls between upper and lower floors satisfactorily during heavy traffic conditions, and this system pro vides a more uniform time interval between the operation of a push button and the stopping of a car in response thereto, throughout the entire range of floors served by the system. Because of this more uniform time interval, the per centage of stops which result in the picking up of a single passenger is decreased; the average number of passengers picked up per stop is increased; the average number of stops per trip is decreased; and the average number of trips for the system as a whole per unit times is increased as compared to corresponding values for systems otherwise similar but lacking the quota feature.

We have found, however, that in buildings in which the cars serve a relatively large number of floors, conditions may arise which will cause a particular car to have an unusually long trip time, thereby interfering with the proper dispatching of other cars. Such conditions may arise where the quota is relatively large, for example, seven or eight calls, and the calls are registered at a relatively slow rate.

In one aspect, it is an object of the present invention to shorten the possible trip time by imposing a condition, additional to the quota limit, which will terminate the ability of a car to accept calls. This condition is the lapse of a predetermined time interval.

Another object of our invention is to provide a novel elevator system in which any down moving car loses its call zone if a car standing at the upper terminal receives a start down signal.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel elevator system in which an up moving car may receive a start down signal before it reaches the upper terminal, if there are no other cars of the bank at the upper terminal, and a sufficient number of down calls are registered.

Other objects of our invention will become evident from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of two elevator cars A and B in a hatchway, and apparatus associated with the cars,

Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, are diagrammatic views showing the circuit connections of various electrical elements used in the practice of the invention. These figures may be assembled vertically, in numerical order with Fig. 2 at the top, to illustrate the circuit features of the invention, and

Figs. 2A to 7A are diagrammatic views showing the mechanism relationship of the coils and contacts of various relays shown in Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive; Figs. 2A to 7A may be arranged beside the corresponding Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, to facilitate location of the various coils and contacts. The coils and contacts of Figs. 2A to 7A are at approximately the same levels, from top to bottom of the figure, as the corresponding elements of Figs. 2 to '7.

In order to reduce circuit complications to a minimum, the control circuits for two cars A and B only, are shown herein. It will be understood, however, that similar circuits would be provided for each car of a bank, which might comprise, for example, six cars. Similarly, the dispatcher has been illustrated as applied to four cars A, B, C and D, it being understood, however, that it may be expanded by a duplication of apparatus for a largernumber of cars, as, for example, six cars.

In order to eliminate unnecessary multiplication of parts for the various floors, the invention has been illustrated as applied to a bank of cars operating between first and fifth terminals. It will be obvious, however, that the system may be extended to include as many floors as desired.

Wherever possible, the apparatus which is individual to car B has been given the same reference character as the corresponding element of carA, with the exception that the prefix B is used toindicate that the apparatus is individual to car B. As the operation of car A will be described in detail, the prefix A has been omitted from the reference characters pertinent thereto, in order to reduce the number of characters making up each reference character used inthe description. I

The control apparatus individual to car A, which is duplicated for the other cars such as car B,- is listed below. The control apparatus, except the dispatcher, common to cars A and B is listed in a separate schedule, and the dispatcher apparatus for cars A, B, C and D is listed in a third schedule.

PU Up pass relay P --Pass relay PD Down pass relay PX Auxiliary pass relay Q Quota relay 1 DE Down dispatch acceptance relay UE Up dispatch acceptance relay TT -Upper terminal relay LT -Lower terminal relay MS Master switch MBP Manual by-pass switch MTS Manual maintenance switch lDB Instant dispatch button Control apparatus (exclusive of dispatcher) common to all cars SDR --Upper terminal call relay lUR SUR ZUR IUR IUZ }---Up common zoning relays IDZ Down common zoning relays Signal lamps ANDL Next down lamp car A ASDL Start down lamp car A ANUL Next up lamp car A ASUL Start up lamp car A BNDL Next down lamp car'B' BSDL Start down lamp car B BNUL Next up lamp car B BSUL Start up lamp car B 4UL 2% Up floor lanterns car A IUL 5DL 4DL 3DL 2DLJ BlUL B3UL BIUL --Up floor lanterns car B BIUL B4DL B3DL Down floor lanterns car B Down zoning relays --Up zoning relays Up call relays Down floor lanterns car A Dispatcher (common to all cars) DF Down chain timing relay DJ }Down chain driving relays UF Up chain timing relay AND --Next down relay car A BND Next down relay car B CND Next down relay car C DND Next down relay car D TDM Down restarting relay TUM Up restarting relay ITU ZTU 3TU Up timing relays ITU STU ITD ZTD 3TD Down timing relays 4TD 5TD }--Up chain driving relays Apparatus shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings Referring particularly to Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be observed that car A is arranged to be supported in a hatchway by means of a cable H) which is passed over a sheave H and is counterweighted by means of a counterweight l2, The sheave H is mounted for rotation with a shaft l3 which is driven by a motor MR. A brake EB of the usual spring operated electromagnetically released type is provided for stopping further rotation of the sheave II when the motor MR is deenergized.

A floor selector [5, of any suitable type, is provided for commutating various circuits of the system in accordance with the position of car A. As illustrated, the shaft I3 is extended and is arranged to operate a brush carriage M of the floor selector I5 by mechanically rotating a lead screw I6. The brush carriage i4 is provided with a number of moving brushes, each of which successively engages a row of stationary contacts, corresponding to the floors of the building, upon movement of the car. For simplicity, only two moving brushes 5!] and 10 and the cooperating two rows of contacts are illustrated, but it Will be understood that in practice a much larger number of brushes and rows of contacts are provided. Other forms of selectors may also be used. e

In order to effect accurate stopping of car A at floor level, a slow-down inductor relay E and a stopping inductor relay F are mounted upon the car in positions to cooperate with suitable inductor plates UEP, DEP, UFP, DFP of iron or other magnetic material, mounted in the hatchway. The inductor relays E and F have normally incomplete magnetic circuits which are successively completed by the inductor plates UEP, UFP, or equivalent, as the car approaches floor level. These relays are so designed that energization of their operating coils will not produce contact operation except at such times as the relay is opposite an inductor plate, thereby completing the relay magnetic circuit. Upon operation of the relay contacts (such as El or E2) the contacts remain in operated condition until the relay operating coil is deenergized, even though the inductor relay moves from a position opposite the inductor plate which completed its magnetic circuit. One pair of up inductor plates, such as UEP and UFP is provided for each floor except the lower terminal, and a pair of down inductor plates, similar to DEP and DFP, is provided for each floor except the upper terminal. Other methods of controlling slow down and stop of the car may be used if so desired.

At each floor, hall lanterns are provided over each hatchway door or at other suitable locations to indicate which car will answer a call. As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, hall lanterns 2UL and 2DL are illustrated as being individual to car A for the second floor. It will be understood that similar hall lanterns are provided for the other cars and for each floor between the terminals. At the terminal floors, only one lantern is required per car, in accordance with the usual practice.

In order to provide for registering calls at the floors, hall call buttons are provided at each floor intermediate the terminals, one button for each direction of travel. As illustrated, the second floor is provided with an up hall call button 2U and a down hall call button 2D. The other intermediate floors are similarly provided with hall call buttons, and a single button is provided at the terminal floors.

In order to start car A in either direction, a master switch MS is provided within the car in a position convenient to be controlled by the operator. The master switch MS includes an energizing segment which normally stands in a central position but is operable to either of two starting positions, the first in engagement with up contact member MSU for starting car A in the up direction, and the second in engagement with down contact member MSD for starting car A in the down direction. During ordinary operaticn, the master switch MS is moved to the proper up or down starting position and held in such position until the operator feels the car decelerating, at which time the switch is centered. If at any time the operator wishes to make an automatic stop at the next floor in advance of the car, he may do so by centering the master switch MS. Stopping from car buttons may be used without departing from the scope of my invention.

If the operator wishes to place car A on maintenance operation, or wishes to by-pass calls, he may operate, respectively, the maintenance switch MTS or the manual by-pass switch MBP, which are also carried by the car.

Dispatching lights are also provided in the elevator car which indicate to the operator when his car is next to leave a terminal and when it is to start from a terminal. For this purpose, next up light NUL and start up light SUL are provided for operation away from the bottom terminal, and next down light NDL and start down light SDL are provided for operation away from the top terminal. w r f 1 Apparatus shown in Fig. .2 of the drawings Referring particularly to Fig 2. of the drawings, it will be'observed that on the left -hand side control circuits are shown which are individual to car A. At the right-hand side, the circuits shown are individual to car 3. Since the circuits are substantially duplicates, reference only will be made to the circuits individual to car A.

As shown, the motor MR is provided with an armature Ma which is connected to the shaft I3 for driving the sheave I l. The brake E3 is provided with a winding EBw which is energized on energizaticn of the motor MR. The motor MR includes the usual shunt-type main field winding Mflwhich is connected for energization between supply conductors LI and L2. The armatureMa of motor MR may be energized by means of a generator G which is provided with an armature Ga connected in a loop circuit with the armature Ma. In order to control the direction and value of the voltage generated by the armature Ga, a separately excited main field winding Gf is provided for the generator G. A field resistor R! is included in the circuit of field winding Gf in order to provide speed control for the motor MR. The generator G is provided with suitable apparatus for correcting the speed regulation of motor MR, shown forsimplicity as a series field winding Gs. Y

The master switch MS, previously described as located in car A, is hereshown connected to selectively control the energization of the operating windings of an up reversing switch U and a down reversing switch D. The reversing switches U and D are provided with contact members, as illustrated, for reversing the connections of the generator field winding G) to the conductors LI and L2, depending upon the directionin which it is desired to operate the elevator car. When either the up or the down reversing switch U or D is energized, a brake relay M is also energized to perform functions which will be set forth hereinafter. In order to apply the maximum voltage to the main field winding Gf, a speed relay V is provided, which is energized on energization of either the up or the down reversing switch U or D to short-circuit .a resistor RI, connected in series circuit relation with the generator field winding Gf.

A pair of mechanical limit switches VTU and VTD are provided for interrupting the circuit of I the high speed relay V when the car reaches a proper slow down point in advance of the upper and lower terminals, respectively, and a pair of stopping limit switches STU and STD are provided for opening the circuits of the reversing switches U and D at the limits, in accordance with the usual practice.

For the purpose of performing certain functions which depend upon the direction of movement of the elevator car, up and down direction preference relays W and X, respectively, are provided. The operating windings of these relays are controlled, respectively, by a limit switch 3M, individual to the top terminal, and a limit switch 381), individual to the bottom terminal. Each of the limit switches 361i and 30b is arranged to be opened when car A is at the corresponding terminal, thereby interrupting the circuit of the direction preference relay W or X corresponding to the direction approaching the terminal. The direction preference relays Wand'X' are's'o interlocked that upon opening of one, the other will close.

As set forth hereinbefore, each caris" provided with a slowdown inductor switch E and a stopping inductor switch F, the operating coils of which are arranged to be energized on operation of a stopping relay S (contacts SI of which only are shown in Fig. 2), and an auxiliary relay G. The stopping relay S is arranged to be operated upon approach of the car A to a floor for which a hall call is registered, as will be set forth hereinafter. Sincethe stopping relay S is operated only momentarily, the auxiliary relay G is provided for maintaining the energizing circuit for the operating windings of the slowdown and stopping inductor switches E and F.

In addition to the apparatus shown for controlling the inductor relays E and F in response to hall calls, suitable apparatus is provided for controlling these relays in response to car calls registered from within the car A. However, in order to simply the description and drawings, the apparatus for registering car calls has been omitted. This apparatus may be of any suitable type, known in the art, effective to permit the registration within the car of stop callsfor all floors served by the car for both directions of car travel, and to initiate an automatic stopping operation of the car upon approach of the latter to a floor for which a car stop call is registered.

The floor lanterns and energizing circuits therefor are shown in the lower part'of Fig. 2. As indicated above, an up floor lantern, s uch as lantern 4UL, and a down floor lantern, such as lanternlDL, are provided for each carat each intermediate floor, and are preferably located above the hatchway door for the corresponding car. At the terminal floors, a single floor lantern, such as lantern 5DL is provided for each car, in accordance with the usual practice.

Each floor lantern is a means functionally related to the stopping of a car and is connected to be energized by contact members such as 4UYI of a zoning relay such as 4UY (to be hereafter described) and contacts such as 4UR| of a call relay 4UR (which will be hereafter described) in series. The lanterns may also be independently energized through segments of the floor selector I5 by means of moving brushes such as 50, when the direction preference relay, such as W corresponding to the direction of car motion, is closed, and the high speed relay V of the corresponding car is open. The purpose of the latter connections is to maintain the floor lantern energized when the car is standing at a floor, or, during the period that the car is slowing down in approaching the floor.

Apparatus shown in Fig. 3

Each intermediate floor is provided with an up hall button such as 4U and a down hall button such as 4D, which serve to signal a car, in condition to stop at the corresponding floor, travelling in the up or down direction, respectively, in order to prepare the car for an automatic stopping operation at the corresponding floor. Similarly, the terminal floors are provided with a single hall button IU and 5D, respectively, for registering calls in the direction away from the terminal.

The up hall buttons 'IU, 2U, 3U andAU are connected in energizing circuits for a plurality of up call relays IUR, ZUR, 3UR and 4UR, which serve to store calls for service registered from the corridors, to be answered by the first approaching car, in condition to stop, travelling in the proper direction. A similar call relay BR is provided to store the calls registered by the upper terminal hall button 5D.

Each of the call relays IUR, ZUR, etc., comprises an energizing coil, which bears the same designation as the relay as a whole, and a demagnetizing winding, such as 5DRN, which when energized counteracts the tractive effort of the energizing coil, thereby causing the relay armature to drop out. The demagnetizing coils 5DRN, 4URN, etc., are connected to stationary segments 65, 64, etc., to be energized when the corresponding car approaches the floor individual to the relay, in condition to make an automatic landing. It will be noted that each of the demagnetizing coils SDRN, etc., is connected to stationary segments of the floor selectors of both cars A and B, so that the approach of either car to the corresponding floor, in condition to make an automatic landing, will cause the demagnetizing winding of the relay to be energized.

In place of the common call relays for each floor as described for the up direction of car travel, an individual down call relay 4DR, 3BR, etc., is provided for each car for each intermediate floor, for the down direction. The down call relays 4BR, 3BR, etc., are similar structurally to the up call relays 4UR, etc. However, the energizing. coils of the down call relays 4DR, B4DR, etc., for each floor are connected in parallel groups to be energized by a common down hall button 4D, etc., and are provided with interlocking contacts such as 4DR2, B4DR2, etc., so connected as to prevent more than one down call relay of the group being closed at the same time. The particular down call relay ADR, B4DR of our floor group which will respond to operation of the corresponding hall button 4D, is determined by the car having the down zone which includes the particular floor, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

A stopping relay S is provided for initiating an automatic stopping operation of the car A at any floor at which the latter car is selected for a stopin response to operation of one of the callrelays 5BR, etc. The stopping relay S is controlled by means of two separate stopping circuits for the up direction of car travel and for the down direction, respectively, each stopping circuit including a separate brushand row of segments of the fioor'selector I5.

Apparatus shown in Fig. 4

An individual set of down zoning relays 5DY, flDY, 3DY, etc., which serve to determine the downzone and thereby to select the floors at which an automatic stopping operation is to be made, is provided for each car. As in the case of thecall relays 5BR, 4DR, 3-DR, etc., a single zoning relay 5DY, IUY, is provided forsthe terminal floors, and individual up and down zoning relays such as 4UY and 4DY, are provided for each intermediate floor. The zoning relays 4-DY, lUY, etc., for the intermediate floors are provided with demagnetizing windings 4DYN, 4UYN, etc., which serve a similar function to the demagnetizing windings of the call relays 5BR, etc., described above.

The zoning relay 5DY for the upper terminal floor is connected to be closed whenever the down dispatch acceptance relay DE for the corresponding car and the next down relay AND, both of; which latter relays will be hereinafter described,

are closed, and the auxiliary pass relay PX and down pass relay PD of the corresponding car are open. The remaining down zoning relays 4DY, 3DY, etc., for the corresponding car, are automatically closed in sequence in response to closure of the terminal zoning relay 5DY, down to a floor at which a zoning relay for some other car is closed. For example, if the zoning relay BZDY for car B is closed, and no zoning relays for the third or fourth floors are closed, upon closure of the terminal zoning relay 5DY for car A, the down zoning relays lDY and 3DY will automatically close in sequence, but the down zoning relay ZDY will remain open. It will be seen that with this arrangement when any terminal zoning relay closes, the corresponding car takes control of the zone consisting of all of the floors extending away from the terminal up to the floor at which the next car travelling in the same direction is located.

Each car is provided with an up pass relay PU or BPU, which serves, when operated, to permit the corresponding car to pass to the upper terminal without making any automatic stops. A down pass relay PD or BPD is provided for per forming a similar function in the down direction of car travel. A pass relay P or BP is provided for each car for initiating operation of the corresponding down pass relay PD or BPD. An auxiliary pass relay PX or BPX is provided for causing the car to pass floors without stopping, under conditions which will be hereinafter more fully described. A manual by-pass switch MBP, BMBP is provided in each car A or B respectively, to effect operation of the corresponding pass relay P or up pass relay PU, depending upon the direction of car travel, at any time that the operator may find it expedient to pass floors at which calls may be registered.

A quota relay Q or BQ, is provided for each car for indicating the condition that the total number of calls. assigned to the particular car corresponds to the quota of the car, and for setting up control circuits corresponding to the indication. Each quota relay Q or BQ is connected to a plurality of parallel energizing circuits each assigned to supply a definite value of current for the down calls of the corresponding car registered on a corresponding call relay G-DR, 313R or 2DR.. As the cars necessarily must stop at the terminals, it is unnecessary to include the terminal floors in the quota, and call relay contacts for the intermediate floors only are included in the energizing circuit of the quota relay Q.

A number of resistors RADR, R3DR, etc., are included in the parallel branches of the energizing circuit of the quota relays Q and BQ, to provide the definite increments of current corresponding to registered calls. The resistors R4DR, etc.,. may be all of equal resistance value, or may be weighted to give preference to the calls from some particular floor at which experience shows that a larger number of passengers customarily enter the car. In either event, however, these resistors are designed to have much larger resistance than the coils of the relays Q and BQ, in order to provide approximately the same current increase for each resistor in circuit. For purposes of illustration, it may be assumed that the resistors R4DR, etc., are all of equal resistance value, and that the quota relays Q and BQ each close at a current value corresponding to that provided by two parallel branch circuits. With the quota circuits so designed, the quota of each car is two calls.

Apparatus shown in Figure 5' In addition to the individual zoning relays 5DY, etc., shown in Fig. 4, a set of common zoning relays IUZ, ZUZ, 2DZ and IDZ is provided for all of the cars of the bank. In accordance with the principle of our invention, it is unnecessary that an individual common zoning relay be provided for each floor, and the relays may be assigned to zones of several floors, the number of floors per zone preferably decreasing as the terminal is approached. For example, in the up direction of car travel, the common zoning relay ZUZ may be assigned to floors 3 and 4, and the zoning relay IUZ may be assigned to the upper terminal floor.

Each common zoning relay, such as ZUZ, is connected to the floor selectors of cars A and B, and to contacts of the up direction preference relays W and BW of both cars, in such manner as to be energized when either car is at any place in the common zone, which in this case consists of the third and fourth floors. For this purpose, the moving brushes 90 and B90 of the two floor selectors are made of suflicient length to overlap the adjacent segments such as 95 and 94, to thereby provide continuous energization of the zoning relay ZUZ so long as either car is within the corresponding zone and connected for upward movement.

In addition to the circuits last described, the common zoning relays IUZ and IDZ are connected to a group of additional energizing circuits. The latter circuits for zoning relay IUZ, for example, are effective to produce energization of the latter whenever the down dispatch acceptance relay DE or BDE of either car is closed and the start down relay ASD or BSD of the corresponding car is open.

It will be understood that the common zoning relays IUZ, ZUZ, ZDZ and IDZ are provided for dividing the hatchway into zones for all of the cars as a group, and that although the control circuits for only two cars A and B are shown in their entirety, in practice, the common zonin relay for each floor and each direction of car travel would be connected to floor selector segments of all of the cars of the bank for the cor responding floor and direction of car travel, and that one common zoning relay for each direction of car travel would be additionally connected to energizing circuits controlled by the down dispatch acceptance relays and start down relays, etc., of all of the cars.

The manual maintenance switch MTS or BMTS for each car is connected to control the connections of the down dispatch acceptance re-' lay DE and up dispatch acceptance relay UE of the corresponding car. The manual maintenance switch MTS may be opened to remove the corresponding car from control of the dispatcher, and, with the switch MTS in open condition, the corresponding car will operate on maintenance. By maintenance operation is meant the operation of any car as a unit, separated from control of the dispatcher, usually for purposes of adjustment or repair. With both maintenance switches MTS and Bl\ TS closed, as shown in the drawings, both cars A and B are under control of the dispatcher. With the maintenance switches MTS and BMTS closed, the operation of the acceptance relays DE, UE, etc., depends upon the open or closed condition of the various com mon zoning relays IUZ, ZUZ, etc., and of the position and direction of travel of the corresponding car, as indicated by the position of its'floor' selector and the open or closed condition of its direction preference relays W and Xandter minal relays TT and LT.

such as ANDL, and a start down light suchas ASDL, the purpose of which is to notify the operator to prepare his car for starting in the down direction, and to start it in the down direction, respectively, at times determined by the dispatcher. Similar dispatch lamps ANUL and ASULare provided for the upward direction of car travel.

Each car is providedwith alower terminal relay LT or BLT, which is energized from the corresponding floor selector when the car is at the lower terminal or first fioor.- Similarly, an upper terminal relay TT or BTT is provided to be energized when the car is adjacent the upper terminal or fifth floor.

Apparatus shown in Figure 6 A relay chain comprising next down relays AND, BND, CND, etc., for each car, together with suitable down chain driving relays DK and DJ,

i is provided for sequentially energizing the next operating coil for a short time interval, which may be assumed for purpose of illustration as one quarter second. The desired time interval may be secured by any suitable means such as a resistor DFR connected in parallel to the operating coil to provide an inductive discharge circuit for the coil of the relay DF upon disconnection of the latter from the supply conductors LI and L2.

The down chain timing relay DF is controlled by contacts of the down chain'driving relays DJ and DK, and also by a number of parallel circuits, each of which includes back contact members such as ASD3 of the start downrelays, front contact members such as AND5 of the corresponding next down relay, and front contact members such as DE5 of the down dispatch acceptance relay DE for the corresponding car.

The relay chain consisting of the next down relays AND, BND, etc., driving relays DK, DJ, and timing relay DF, operates generally as follows: The driving relays DJ and DK open sequentially or close sequentially under control of the timing relay DF, until a condition is reached in which the timing relay DF is closed, and both chain driving relays DJ and DK are either both open or both closed. Until such a condition is reached, the relays DF, DJ and DK operate sequentially and at intervals cause the energization of the next down relays AND, BND, CND, etc., in a repeating sequence until one or the other of the above described conditions of the relays DF, DJ and DK exists.

In order to prevent short circuits between the supply conductors LI and L2 under certain conditions of operation of the chain driving relays DJ and DK, a resistor R2 is provided 'in series with the operating coils of the latter relays.

The chain relays AND, BND, etc., pick up and drop out in response to operations of timing the relay DF and the driving relays DK and DJ. The operation of these latter relays goes'through a cycle for each operation of the relay DF. This cycle can best be understood by considering these relays apart from the other circuits. When the control switch supplying voltage to these relays is closed, DJ, DF and DK are energized in the sequence given:

Ll; DK3; DFI; DKZ; coil DJ; R2; L2.

Ll; coil DK; DJI; coil DJ; R2; L2,

Contact DK8 opens the circuit to coil DF which drops to the deenergized position, after a time delay of, we will assume in this example, A; second. A short is placed on coil DJ through the circuit:

Coil DJ-DJ i-DK l --DF l -DK-'lcoil DJ which thereupon drops out, reenergizing coil DF:

Llcoi1 DFDK1DJ6-L2 Relay DB, in picking up deenergizes coil DK by opening the following holding circuit;

Contact DKI opens and again interrupts the circuit to coil DF' which drops to the deenergized position in A, second and in so doing reestablishes the circuit to energize coil DJ:

The aforementioned sequence will repeat indefinitely.

Relays AND, BND, etc., are now connected to these relays. When the switch was first closed AND became energized:

Coil BND is then energized:

LI-coil BND-AND4- DJ3-L2 which opens the pick up circuit to coil AND.

Then DK picks up, opening the holding circuit to coil AND, which drops out.

Relay BND remains up as long as both DK and DJ are energized. When DF times out and DJ drops, CND becomes energized:

Coil BND is held energized through its holding circuit:

and when DK drops, BND drops out because DKB opens. Coil CND is held in through its holding circuit:

lL-coil CND CND4-DK5L2 Coil CND then remains energized as long as both relays DJ and DK are energized.

However, when DJ picks up a second time relay DND picks up also through:

Relay CND will then drop out and DND will remain energized while relays DJ and DK are energized.

When relay DJ drops for the second time, relay AND i again energized, and will remain energized until DJ and DK pick up for the third time.

Thus relays AND, BND, CND and DND pick up, one after another at intervals of A; second under the influence of relays DJ, DF and DK, and will continue to do so indefinitely until something stops the motion such as one of the three lower circuits to coil DF becoming closed to prevent the dcenergization of coil DF by the upper two circuits as previously described. It is to be understood that the A; second delay may be changed to any other desired interval. For instance, in some cases it may be desirable to use a delay of /2 second.

In addition to the down dispatching relay chain described above, an up dispatching relay chain, comprising up driving relays UJ and UK, next up relays ANU, BNU, CNU, etc., and an up chain timing relay UF, is provided for energizing the next up signal lamps in the same manner as the down relay chain described above.

A down restarting relay TDM, which serves to energize the start down relays of the various cars at time intervals determined by timing elements to be described, is connected in series with a resistor TDMR to the supply conductors LI and L2, so as to be energized at all times when its operating coil is free from short circuits. The operating coil of the down restarting relay TDM is normally short circuited through a circuit which includes contacts of a quota dispatch relay QN, an instant dispatch button IDB, back contacts of the down restarting relay TDM in series, and back contacts of a group of down timing relays ITD, 2TD, 3TD, etc., the latter back contacts being connected in parallel.

The operating coil of relay TDM may also be short circuited Whenever the quota dispatch relay QN is open. and any one of the start down relays ASD, BSD, etc., for the various cars, is closed. With this circuit arrangement the relay TDM is normally short circuited but may be energized when either the quota dispatch relay QN or the instant dispatch button IDB is operated, or when all of the down timing relays ITD, 2TD, etc., are closed. When the down restarting relay TDM is energized, it may be dropped out in response to closure of any start down relay ASD, etc. or upon opening of all of the down timing relays ITD, 2TD, etc., assuming in either case that the quota dispatch relay QN is open.

The down timing relays ITD, 2TD, 3TD, etc., are connected to be closed in sequence by means of contacts T3, T4, T5, etc., of a motor driven timer TMR, to be hereinafter described in connection with Fig. 7, and each timing relay is connected to establish a holding circuit for itself upon its closure. The down timing relays ITD, 2TD, etc., are connected to be dropped out as a group upon closure of the down restarting relay TDM.

An up restarting relay TUM, similar to the down restarting relay TDM, is connected in a similar circuit with a resistor TUMR. The up restarting relay TUM is controlled by contacts of the quota dispatch relay QN, and by contacts of the start up relays ASU, BSU, etc., and of a group of up timing relays ITU, ZTU, 3TU, etc., in a manner which will be readily understood from the above description of the down restarting relay TDM.

Apparatus shown in Figure 7 The circuits for the start down relays ASD, BSD, CSD and DSD are shown at the top of Fig. 7. It should be noted that each of these relays can be closed only when the next down relay for the corresponding car, such as relay AND, is closed, the down restarting relay TDM is closed, and either the corresponding quota relay Q or the corresponding upper terminal relay TT is closed. Each of the start down relays ASD, BSD, etc., is connected to establish a holding circuit for itself independent of the contacts of the down restart- 

